British Prime Minister David Cameron, left, leaves with his delegation at the conclusion of an EU summit in Brussels (Photo: AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

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DAVID CAMERON BREAKS FROM EU REFORM DEAL TALKS AFTER HOURS OF NEGOTIATIONS

Marathon talks between David Cameron and EU leaders in Brussels showed "some signs of progress" but Downing Street said there was "still a lot to do".

The Prime Minister held several "hard going" meetings with European Council president Donald Tusk and French president Francois Hollande before leaving at around 5.30am, Brussels time, (4.30am GMT).

He will return to the negotiations later, Number 10 said, starting with another meeting with Mr Tusk.

HOLYROOD FUNDING TALKS TO RESUME

Crunch talks over how Holyrood will be funded when MSPs are handed new powers are to resume, with the deadline for reaching a deal between the Scottish and UK governments looming.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney has travelled to London for further discussions with Chief Secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands.

The protracted negotiations are taking place in a bid to strike a deal over how the block grant Scotland receives from Westminster will be adjusted when tax raising powers are devolved.

LANDLORDS ENJOY 'BEST RETURNS SINCE 2014'

Landlords are typically seeing the best returns on properties since 2014, according to a buy-to-let index.

The average annual return per property for landlords across England and Wales was £21,988 in January, estate agents Your Move and Reeds Rains said.

The figure includes income from rent as well as the rising value of the property and also takes into account any void periods, when the property may stand empty. It is the highest in cash terms since August 2014.

RICHARD BRANSON 'TO UNVEIL NEW SPACE TOURISM ROCKET'

Richard Branson is expected to reveal a new SpaceShip later, just over a year since a test pilot was killed in a crash.

SpaceShipTwo's arrival signals a return to testing for Virgin Galactic, the arm of the tycoon's empire that hopes to be the first to take tourists on trips into space.

The team behind the latest suborbital spaceplane includes leaders from NASA's mission control and astronaut corps, the militaries from three nations and from the top flight of the aviation and transport industries.

ICE WARNING FOR COMMUTERS BEFORE TEMPERATURES RISE

A cold snap greets commuters on Friday before temperatures rebound up to 14C (57.2F) over the weekend as a north-south divide takes hold.

The eastern half of England will wake up to temperatures as low as minus 4C (24.8F) before a crisp morning that is dry and clear with a risk of some icy patches on untreated roads.

A damp yet chilly start for Wales, western parts of England and Scotland and Northern Ireland, brings with it an increased risk of ice.

NICK GRIMSHAW 'QUITTING AS X FACTOR JUDGE'

Nick Grimshaw will not return as a judge on The X Factor this year, according to reports.

A spokesman for Grimshaw, who spent just one season as a judge on the popular show, told The Sun the Radio One presenter made the decision to leave and had not been sacked.

The spokesman said: "After careful consideration, Nick's decided to rule himself out as a judge on this year's X Factor.

PEERS IN WARNING TO GOVERNMENT OVER HOUSEBUILDING POLICY

Looser planning laws aimed at increasing house building risk heaping "misery" on communities, a parliamentary committee has said.

The Government will fail to meet targets to deliver 200,000 new homes a year if it relies on the private sector, according to peers.

But speedy development is in danger of being prioritised over standards, the House of Lords committee on national policy for the built environment found.

DULCET TONES ARE THE PASSWORD TO BIOMETRIC BANKING

Biometric banking using voice or touch security is set to hit Britain's high streets.

More than 15 million HSBC and first direct mobile banking customers are being offered the chance to tap into their accounts with a voice and fingerprint verification system. It is hoped it could start to tackle the annoying issue of forgotten passwords.

Francesca McDonagh, HSBC UK's head of retail banking and wealth management, described the offer which is being made to customers by the summer as "the largest planned roll out of voice biometric security technology in the UK".

NEW TEST TO DETECT INHERITED HEART CONDITIONS

A new test has been launched to detect inherited heart conditions, which affect more than half a million people in the UK.

The genetic test - which is cheaper, easier to use and picks up more problems than existing tests - is already in use in one NHS hospital, but is expected to be taken up by others.

Researchers funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) developed the blood test, which detects all known inherited heart condition genes.

DEMAND FOR 'DESIGNER' DOGS 'FUELLING PUPPY FARMS'

The British public's increasing demand for "designer" dog breeds is fuelling puppy farms, an RSPCA report has revealed.

Figures published in the animal charity's Puppy Report: 'Sold a pup?' Exposing the breeding, trade and sale of puppies,' estimates 430,000 young dogs come from unlicensed UK breeders each year.

Over the last decade, the RSPCA said the demand for "designer" cross-breed dogs and "handbag" dogs has soared - particularly for breeds such as French bulldogs, Pomeranians, shih-tzus, Yorkshire terriers, and pugs.